Packet of firecrackers with sealed band



Sept. 22, 1931. w. E. PRIESTLEY 1,824,357 PACKET 0F FIRECRACKERS WITH SEALED BAND Filed Dec. 11, 1929 M, H --a J.

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1931 wrnrnnn ERNEST QE'R-IESTLZEY, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON PACKET OF FIRECRACKERS WITH SEALED BAND Application filed December 11, 1929. Serial No. 413,248

This invention relates to the process ormethod'of packingfirecrackers, and to the packages packed thereby. l v Heretofore firecrackershave been held together in packages by the plaiting or twisting together of the fuses thereof, and thereby dilficulty has been caused in the segregation of the units when the same were desired to be fired separately, and many. of the fuses were i 1 pulled from the firecrackers in the removal, or v delay created by the careful disentanglement of the fuses. Again when it was desired'to fire the entire package at one time, the result has been that many of the separate firecrackers were scattered by the explosion of others or their fuses pulled out without becoming ig nited, and in all such cases the explosions of the several firecrackers were intermittent and the time of discharge so delayed that the package, if thrown into the air, would have fallen to the ground before many of the firecrackers would have become discharged.

And it is one of the objects-of this invention to pack and provide a package of fire- '25 crackers which may be used without any of the said disadvantages.

A further'object is to provide a process and method of packing firecrackers, so that each unit may be quickly removed by the operator for firing without injury to any other unit, and also to so provide that the entirepack may be fired simultaneously,without damage to any unit or failure of any to explode.

"'A still further object is to provide such process method and pack,'whereby opposite rows of firecrackers will be held together by a-band pasted over the abutting ends .of the firecrackers in the opposing rows whereby the rows will be held at a fixed distance from channel formedbetween the rows and betweenthe bands on opposite sides of the 0pposing ends, and the fuses of all the firecrackers be bent at right angles'therewith and trained along and within the channel adjacent each other, but not otherwise attached together, to provide for the easy reover. the channel, and-also provide'ffor ignit "to-111 all the firecrackers by the rapid spread each other, with an enclosed passageway or cracker units abutting. each other with the fuses thereof bent in a pack; V

Figure 4 represents, a detail showing a number of the units assembled in juxtaposipreparatory to assembling tion with the fuses pressed between the ends I ready for the binding band thereover; d V

Figure 5 represents a cross section View of the upper part of F igure 1 taken on line 5 thereof. 7

Like numerals on the different figures represent like parts.

Numeral 6 represents a unit or a single firecracker of any size or variety, and 7 represents the usual fuse extending therefrom for ignition thereof. 8 represents my band or ribbon, for holding the units together in: the desired positions and for forming a channel or tunnel for the aggregated fuses for ignition. This band or ribbon is preferably of paper or other suitable material of sulficient strength to hold the units together in a pack, and yet be sufficiently pliable for removal by the operator'when he may desire to remove any one or more of the units. I place a coating of suitable adhesive, indicated by dotted and then place the tworrows of the fire- .crackers opposite to eachother with the fuse "lines as 10, on one side, orface of this band,

moval of any unit by raising the cover band {and seal the edges of the band a suitable "width on and'over'the oppos ng end porli tions of all the firecrackers by meansiof the adhesive, the band being on both sides of the firecrackers, so that the channel containing the fuses is enclosed by the ends of the two rows of the units and by the extension of the band over and between the said ends, and space between. However'the fuses from the two last units at one end of the pack, I bring out from the channel as indicated by numeral' 11, for ready lighting by'a match-or other means, in case it is desired to fire the entire package together, j V

The adhesive may be made from flour paste or similar materials which when dried after affixing to the units and band, will harden and havesuhicient strength to hold the bands and units in the package form for transportation, but which adhesive may be easily broken without injury to the units -when the operator desires to remove any thereof, and to so do, he peels'ofi? one of the hands a given dlstance and readlly removes any one or more unitsfor separate firing,

' and no damage is done to the fuses bythe removal as they are unattached.

that any of the fuses should adhere to the paste, the outer layer of the fuse being of thin tissue paper readily tears off without injury to the remainder of the fuse;

Where it is desired to fire the entire pack, the operator ignites the projecting fuses 11, and deposits the pack on the ground or projects the same into. the air, meanwhile" the Y exposed fuse burns as a slow matchwithout danger to the operator, but as soon as the fire reaches the entrance of the channel or tunnel the fire'speeds through the entire tunnel. practically instantaneously, as the compacted fuses in the tunnel act as a piped quick niatclrin the confined space, and all of the fuses are thereby igmted, and mostly burned up to the ends of the firecrackers, and the gases from burning fuses break off the units simultaneously rorn the bands and scatter the units while. simultaneously bursting. When this occurs in the air, a beautiful fiery cascade is displayed, and no undischarged units remain. r

The band is preferably of bright colors or may carry stars or'other characters printed for ornamental purposes thereon. For

transportation an outer envelope or casing 9 is provided which may be bright colored or be transparent, or otherwise made ornamental. v

I am aware that loose strips or hands have been used for wrappers on packages of firecrackers for holding the same together for" transportation; but such loose bands or wrappers required that the firecracker units have their fuses entwined to prevent lateral movements and to hold the package in shape, but this method was productive of much injury inthe'pulling of the fuses jfromthe units either in transportation orin the division of the unitsfor separatefiring, and such packs In event 1 when ignited as a whole, failed to provide a satisfactory spectacle as the units when ignited at all, exploded in a desultory manner, and a great many of the units failed to ignite by reason of the fuses having been withdrawn, or from being ejected from the pack by prior units exploding. In order to overcome such difiiculties I made extensive experiments in the United States and particularly in firecracker factories in Taiwan, and finally discovered thereby that by the application of two rows of firecrackers with the fuse ends thereof abutting each other, an adhesive band sealed to the abutting ends parallel with the space occupied by the fuses between the ends and over the space,to form an enclosed channel with the fuses therein between the ends.

2. That improvement in packets of firecrackers, which comprises firecrackers in o positely positioned parallel rows with t e fuse ends abutting each other and projecting fuses at right angles with the units, the rows divided by a space suflicient to hold the assembled fuses therein, a band with an adhesive on one side thereof, and binding the oppositely plositioned rows of units together with the ad esive band attached over the ends of the units on the outsides thereof parallel over thespace between the units to normally hold the units together in a pac and provide an enclosed air channel between the ends of the units" with the fuses parallel therein, for

igniting all the units collectively.

from the unitsat one end of the pack extend ing from the space, and the remainder of the fuses placed parallel with each other in the channel in close juxtaposition between the ends of the units and between the bands, for the synchronous ignitionof all the units.

4. A packet of firecrackers, comprising rows of firecrackers arranged with their fuse ends confronting in close juxtaposition, and a band pasted to and over the adjacent ends of said rows of firecrackers, uniting said rows into a packet, and forming with the confronting ends of said firecrackers an enclosed channel for the fuses.

1 A -packet'of firecrackers comprising rows of firecrackers arranged with their fuse ends confronting in close juxtaposition; and a band pasted to and over the adjacent ends of said rows of firecrackers, uniting said rows into a packet and forming with the confronting ends of said firecrackers an enclosed channel for the fuses, the latter being freely arranged in said channel.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILFRED ERNEST PRIESTLEY. 

